Net-A-Porter X Chloe in New York
Put the words ‘Chloe’, ‘Net-A-Porter’ and ‘Ibiza’ together and you have my attention. So when the first two of that trilogy invited me to go with them to New York (another name I like) to celebrate the launch of their exclusive collection inspired by the White Isle, I said yes before they finished asking the question…
So I thought I’d show you guys my favourite pieces from the collection while out and about in NYC for a hot minute this week. As if New York knew we were toasting the arrival of a collection of holiday-ready Chloe goodness, the weather ramped up to a searing 30 degrees on Wednesday making for a pretty dreamy day by my standards to walk the length and breadth of Manhattan, eat ice cream for lunch (not a lie) and generally live that Chloe girl NYC dream for a day. I stayed at the lovely Ludlow hotel on the Lower East Side, met some brilliant new friends, caught up with some great old friends and had the best breakfast I’ve had for ages at ABCV. The party itself looked like a Chloe campaign with twinkling lights lining the courtyard garden of a huge Manhattan townhouse, live music from famed NYC buskers City of the Sun, delicious vegetarian finger food (sidenote, they had a whole section of potatoes with delicious dips and various salts which made me, the daughter of a potato farmer, very happy) and some tequila/mescal concoction that took me right back to Cuixmala. It was one of those parties that you might plan to just pop into and then end up staying until the very end… My trip to New York with Net-A-Porter and Chloe might have been short, but it was most definitely sweet.
But let’s talk about the collection. First up, and to me the most classically Chloe of the lot, the sheer, floaty, broderie anglaise silk blouse. Ideally wafty on a boiling hot day, this feels as light as feather to pull on and even with jeans and straw bag, it feels and looks incredibly special. I loved all the jewellery from this collection so it was pretty hard to choose one favourite but in the end I settled on this shoulder-skimming earrings. On holiday and at weddings this summer, I’m picturing them with hair pulled back into a low knot and some kind of super simple black or white slip or strapless sun dress with only honeyed shoulders to set them off, sigh. But even with humid, frizzy city hair they look pretty insane and you can really feel the Ibiza inspiration in these.
Next up, the iconic Nile bag in gold. When I first saw this I’ll admit I wasn’t sure… Initially I thought it was a bit too blingy for me. But now, I completely head over heels love it. Within moments of having it in my clutches I realised it appealed to those rather large bits of me that have always obsessed over 70s glitz and more recently, that 80s OTT aesthetic. And if you’re familiar with this blog and my shopping habits, you’ll know I’m forever lured in by a circular handle and this is the ultimate I reckon… I’ve long been a fan of scalloped edges on swimwear; turns out they’re pretty great on denim shorts too. Except cleverly this is just the embroidery that’s scalloped rather than the edges themselves… Much cooler and more timeless that way. These cling in all the right places and are begging to be worn out at night to some beach party somewhere hot, jasmine-scented and rum-fuelled, but equally just as good on scorching day in the city with `Nick Gilder ‘Hot Child in the City’ in your ears.
This collection is one of those that really makes me realise how closely linked travel and fashion are in my consciousness. To me, great clothes don’t just appeal visually, they speak to something else in you, to some place you want to go and haven’t been yet or a place you yearn to return to. You probably pick up on that on here, not only from my obsession with travel and documenting it (bit of a giveaway), but also form the way the first thing I do with a new item of clothing is imagine and describe it somewhere else… The hallmark of a dreamer maybe, but all I know is if I’m set to go somewhere new, I picture what’s in my suitcase and what it all looks like before I’ve even booked my flight. Nothing quite beats holiday shopping, but I feel like the right pieces go further than that. They inspire the travels rather than the other way round. Even khakis and birkesntocks in India and safari can get my imagination going…. And this collection really speaks to that bit of me. Isn’t that what great clothes are all about, making you imagine and aspire and play make believe even for a moment? It’s so easy for designers to cite locations as inspirations but in cases like this, you can really feel it come through. Of course Chloe pieces are far from hippy market prices (and I wouldn’t suggest shoving this incroyable top into the bottom of a damp beach bag), but the essence of these is pure barefoot Benirras bohemia which, predictably, I love.
Thanks so much for having me to your party Net-A-Porter & Chloe. I’m now firmly in the summer state of mind, even back in London with the rain pummelling down on our sky lights… Not that I’m missing that NYC heat or anything.
